Local authorities need to "take note" of pharmacy's strengths in providing NHS health checks if they want to save Public Health England's (PHE) target of 650 lives a year, pharmacy leaders have warned.

Many pharmacies were successfully delivering NHS health checks and should continue to be in the "provider mix", Pharmacy Voice said, responding to PHE's announcement last week (July 19) that it plans to offer the service through local authorities to 20 per cent of 40 to 74 year olds each year.

Health checks could save 650 lives, prevent 1,600 heart attacks and 4,000 people from developing diabetes annually, PHE said in its report.

"Local authorities ought to take note of community pharmacy's strengths in regard to NHS health checks, including accessibility and a presence in deprived neighbourhoods" Rob Darracott, Pharmacy Voice

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PSNC welcomed PHE's support for the local rollout of the health checks to every eligible person within five years, but warned that the transfer of health check data from GP practices to pharmacies had "frequently caused local challenges" for LPCs delivering health checks. PHE said it would increase the flow of health check data from GP practices to other providers and PSNC added that it had agreed to work with PHE to find a solution to the problem.

Pharmacy Voice chief executive Rob Darracott said he hoped PHE would create a better environment for investment in health checks in pharmacies, following the decommissioning of some pharmacy health check services due to budget cuts.

"Local authorities ought to take note of community pharmacy's strengths in regard to NHS health checks, including accessibility and a presence in deprived neighbourhoods," Mr Darracott told C+D.

PHE case studies also suggested that health check programmes that used a mix of providers were most successful at reaching out to local population groups.

PHE said it would work with Health Education England to build on existing training schemes for providers delivering health checks, after some practitioners suggested they did not feel equipped to have conversations with patients about their lifestyle.

Health secretary Jeremy Hunt said he wanted to see the NHS and local authorities encouraging all 40 to 74 year olds to take up the "potentially life-saving opportunity" of health checks.

In March, the Department of Health published a report that highlighted health checks in community pharmacies as one way to reduce premature deaths in England by 30,000 by 2020.